Editing Short Stirling (section)

==Operational history==
In July 1940, the first production Stirling departed Rochester; in August 1940, it was delivered to [[No. 7 Squadron RAF|No. 7 Squadron]] at [[RAF Leeming]], [[North Yorkshire]].<ref name = "norris 10"/> Following a four-month working-up period in which crews adapted to operating the type, the Stirling attained operational status in January 1941. On the night of 10/11 February 1941, the first operational combat mission was performed, flown by the first three Stirlings, against fuel storage tanks at [[Vlaardingen]] near [[Rotterdam]], in the [[Kingdom of the Netherlands|Netherlands]], all but two bombers were deployed during the mission, which was considered to have run smoothly.<ref name = "norris 10"/> By the end of 1941, more than 150 Stirlings had been completed and three RAF squadrons had been equipped with it. Stirlings flew on day and night bombing operations and had been found to be most capable of standing up to enemy [[interceptor aircraft]] by using a sweeping combination of fighters and bombers, in what was known as [[Circus offensive|"Circus" operations]].<ref name = "norris 10"/>

[[File:Stirling of 7 sqn.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.3|Short Stirling of No. 1651 Heavy Conversion Unit c.1941 being loaded with bombs.]]
From late 1941, the Stirling played a pioneering role in the formation of the RAF's [[Pathfinder (RAF)|Pathfinder]] squadrons, specialist navigation and target-finding squadrons to assist Main Force squadrons.<ref name = "norris 10"/> From the spring of 1942, the number of Stirlings in service began to increase.<ref name="Story p53-4">{{harvnb|Bowyer|2002|pp=53–54.}}</ref><ref name="Story p142-146">{{Harvnb|Bowyer|2002|pp=142–146.}}</ref> From May 1943, raids on Germany were often conducted using over a hundred Stirling bombers at a time.<ref name="Story p203">{{Harvnb|Bowyer|2002|p=203.}}</ref> Stirlings were amongst the RAF bombers used during the [[Bombing of Cologne in World War II#First 1,000 bomber raid|first 1,000 bomber raid]] against [[Cologne]].<ref name = "norris 11">{{harvnb|Norris|1966|p=11}}</ref> Norris observed that, by 1942, the type had "given plenty of punishment to the Germans and was also proving that it could itself take punishment to an incredible extent".<ref name = "norris 10 11">{{harvnb|Norris|1966|pp=10–11}}</ref> There were several incidents in which damaged aircraft, such as one Stirling which suffered a head-on collision with a [[Messerschmitt Bf 109]] fighter over [[Hamburg]], were able to return to base.<ref name = "norris 11"/>

Despite the "disappointing performance" at maximum altitude, Stirling pilots were delighted to discover that, due to the thick wing, they could out-turn the [[Junkers Ju 88]] and [[Messerschmitt Bf 110]] [[nightfighter]]s they faced.<ref>{{Harvnb|Bashow|2005|p=39.}}</ref> Its handling was much better than that of the Halifax and some preferred it to the Lancaster. Based on its flight characteristics, Flt Lt Murray Peden ([[RCAF]]) of No. 214 Squadron RAF described the Stirling as "one of the finest aircraft ever built".<ref>{{Harvnb|Peden|1979|p=229.}}</ref> A consequence of the thick wing was a low ceiling; many missions were flown as low as {{convert|12,000|ft|m|abbr=on}}. This was a disadvantage if crews were attacking [[Italy]] and had to fly ''through'' (rather than "over") the [[Alps]]. When Stirlings were on operations with other RAF bombers which could fly higher, the [[Luftwaffe]] concentrated on the Stirlings. Within five months of being introduced, 67 out of 84 aircraft had been lost to enemy action or written off after crashes.

The Stirling's maximum bomb load could be carried for only around {{convert|590|mi|km}}. On typical missions deep into Germany or Italy, a smaller {{convert|3500|lb|kg|adj=on}} load was carried, consisting of seven {{convert|500|lb|kg|adj=on}} GP bombs; this payload was in the range of that which was already being carried by the RAF's [[medium bomber]]s, such as the [[Vickers Wellington]] and by 1944, the [[de Havilland Mosquito]]. Perhaps the biggest weakness present in the design was that, although the bomb bay was large at {{convert|40|ft|m|abbr=on|adj=mid|long}}, it had a pair of structural dividers that ran down the middle, limiting the bay to nothing larger than the {{convert|2000|lb|kg|adj=on}} bomb.<ref>{{cite magazine |url= http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1941/1941%20-%202494.html |title= Stirling Squadron |magazine= Flight |date= 3 October 1941 |accessdate= 27 December 2009 |archive-date= 2016-03-05 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160305020837/https://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1941/1941%20-%202494.html }}</ref> As the RAF started using the {{convert|4000|lb|kg|adj=on}} "[[Blockbuster bomb|cookies]]" and even larger "specials", the Stirling became less useful. The Handley-Page Halifax and especially the Avro Lancaster offered better performance and when these aircraft became available in greater numbers from 1943, the Stirlings were relegated to secondary tasks.<ref name = "norris 12"/>{{refn|the Lancaster could carry twice the Stirling's bomb load over long distances and was at least {{convert|40|mph|km/h}} faster while having an operating altitude of about {{convert|4000|ft|m}} higher.<ref>{{Harvnb|Mason|1994|pp=315–316.}}</ref>|group=N}}

During the type's service with Bomber Command, Stirlings flew a total of 14,500 sorties, during which 27,000 tons of bombs were dropped; 582 aircraft were lost in action while a further 119 were written off. By December 1943, Stirlings were being withdrawn from frontline service as bombers.<ref name = "norris 12"/> The aircraft remained in service for minelaying operations in the vicinity of German ports ("Gardening"), [[electronic countermeasure]]s, dropping [[spy|spies]] deep behind enemy lines at night and towing gliders.

[[File:Operation Market I - 02.jpg|thumb|Paratroopers assemble near Mk.IV Stirlings of [[No. 620 Squadron RAF|620 Squadron]] during [[Operation Market Garden]] in September 1944]]
[[File:Short Stirlings tow Airspeed Horsas.jpg|thumb|Photograph taken from an [[Airspeed Horsa]] glider cockpit, while under tow by a Stirling during [[Operation Varsity]], 24 March 1945]]
During 1943, it had been recognised that there would be a requirement for a force of powerful aircraft capable of towing [[military glider|heavy transport glider]]s, such as the [[General Aircraft Hamilcar]] and [[Airspeed Horsa]], it was found that the Stirling would fit this role admirably. During late 1943, 143 Mk.III bombers were converted as the ''Stirling Mk.IV'', with no nose or dorsal turrets, which was used for towing gliders and dropping paratroops, in addition to 461 Mk.IVs that were manufactured. These aircraft were used for the deployment of Allied ground forces during the [[Invasion of Normandy|Battle of Normandy]] and [[Operation Market Garden]]. On 6 June 1944, several Stirlings were also used in [[Operation Glimmer]] for the precision-laying of patterns of [[Chaff (countermeasure)|"Window"]] to produce radar images of a decoy invasion fleet.<ref>Interview on DVD [http://www.stirlingproject.co.uk/ "Remember the Stirling."] ''The Stirling Project''. Retrieved: 27 December 2009.</ref>

In May 1944, No. 138 (Special Duties) Squadron acquired 22 Stirlings to support resistance groups organised by the [[Special Operations Executive]] in Europe. Standard "C" Type containers for weapons and other stores could be loaded into the bomb bay and dropped like a payload of bombs. The Stirling could carry 18 of these; a particularly large load.<ref>{{Cite book| title=The Special Operations Executive 1940–1946| last=Foot| first=M. R. D.| publisher=Pimlico| year=1999| isbn=0-7126-6585-4 |author-link=M. R. D. Foot| pages=95,96}}</ref> Smaller panniers or packages could be carried in the Stirling's roomy rear fuselage and manually dropped through a hole in the floor by a despatcher. Experiments with a roller-based conveyor to drop these packages faster than a dispatcher were delayed until the end of the war by concerns that this would involve too rapid a change in the aircraft's centre of gravity.<ref>{{Cite book| title=SOE: The Scientific Secrets| last1=Boyce| first1=Frederic| last2=Everett| first2=Douglas| publisher=Sutton | year=2003| isbn=0-7509-4005-0| pages=188, 189}}</ref>

From late 1944, 160 of the special transport variant ''Stirling Mk V'' were built, which had the tail turret removed and a new nose opening added; most of these were completed after the war. By 1946, the Stirlings of [[RAF Transport Command|Transport Command]] were being phased out and replaced by the [[Avro York]], which was a transport derivative of the Lancaster that had previously replaced the Stirling in the bomber role.<ref name = "norris 14">{{harvnb|Norris| 1966|p=14}}</ref> While many aircraft were scrapped, 12 Stirlings were modified to conform with S.37 standards and sold to [[Belgium|Belgian]] [[Air charter|charter operator]] [[Trans-Air]] in May 1947.<ref name = "norris 14"/>

===Victoria Cross recipients===
In recognition of their deeds of valour, two Stirling pilots were posthumously awarded the [[Victoria Cross]] (VC). Both pilots held the rank of [[Flight Sergeant]] (Flt&nbsp;Sgt) and both were involved in bombing raids against [[Turin]]. Flt&nbsp;Sgt [[Rawdon Hume Middleton]] ([[Royal Australian Air Force|RAAF]]) received his VC while serving as the captain of a Stirling from [[No. 149 Squadron RAF]], during a raid in November 1942.<ref name = "norris 11"/> Middleton was severely wounded and knocked unconscious by a direct hit from an [[anti-aircraft artillery|AA]] shell. Upon regaining consciousness, Middleton insisted that Flt&nbsp;Sgt Leslie Hyder, the co-pilot, should dress his own wounds, while Middleton flew the badly damaged bomber. After it became clear that a crash was inevitable, Middleton ordered the rest of the crew to abandon the Stirling, while he maintained control. He was killed, along with the last two crew members to bail out.<ref name = "norris 11 12">{{harvnb|Norris|1966|pp=11–12}}</ref> Acting Flt&nbsp;Sgt [[Arthur Louis Aaron]], was awarded his VC as the captain of a [[No. 218 Squadron RAF|No. 218 Squadron]] Stirling in a raid on Turin in August 1943.<ref name = "norris 12">{{harvnb|Norris|1966|p=12}}</ref> Aaron was badly wounded while piloting the aircraft and refused to rest, directing the flight engineer, who was acting as co-pilot, to fly to [[Rabah Bitat Airport]] (Bone Airfield), [[Algeria]]; he died following the aircraft's safe landing.<ref name = "norris 12"/>

===Service with other nations===
The Stirling is listed in the appendix to the novel ''KG 200'' as one flown by the German secret operations unit {{lang|de|[[Kampfgeschwader 200]]}} (KG 200), which tested, evaluated, and sometimes clandestinely operated captured enemy aircraft.<ref name= "Gilman and Clive p. 314">{{Harvnb|Gilman|Clive|1978|p=314.}}</ref> Six Stirlings were purchased by the [[Egyptian Air Force]] for use in the [[1948 Arab Israeli War]], forming the 8th Bomber Squadron. These flew a number of air raids on Israeli targets in the 1948 war, one of their number being lost either as a result of an accident or sabotage. The remaining five appear to have been scrapped or retired by 1951.<ref>{{cite web|last=Crawford|first=Alex|title=Stirlings in Egypt|url=http://www.acig.info/CMS/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=204&Itemid=47|publisher=ACIG.org|access-date=30 January 2013}}</ref>